Elden Ring: My Ending (Ch.3-4)

Chapter 3

Merchant Kale had encountered many Tarnished in his life. After all, his nomadic people once had the sight of grace but had long since lost it.

Life in the Lands Between, though perilous, had a peculiar stability. When Queen Marika shattered the Elden Ring, plunging the world into the war of demigods, it seemed events would unfold quickly. Surely, someone would soon rise to become the new Elden Lord, restoring order.

But that expectation was a delusion. Time had lost its meaning, and while things happened—constantly—it all felt like the world itself had been paused.

For Kale, as for most merchants, their trade was more a way to pass time than a true vocation. Each customer brought a chance for conversation, for a bit of bargaining. New faces were always a joy, though not all newcomers were rational—much less sane. Retaining one’s wits in the Lands Between was nothing short of miraculous.

So, Kale wasn’t particularly surprised when, on a full-moon night, a half-naked Tarnished leapt off a spectral steed and approached him. He recognized this man immediately.

Rumors traveled surprisingly fast in the Lands Between. Within days, word spread of a warrior who bested the Tree Sentinel while riding his spectral mount.

Luckily for everyone’s imagination, no one had witnessed the so-called epic battle. Few would care to know it resembled more a farce than a duel—a tired Sentinel, struck repeatedly by a shirtless man on a horned steed, unable even to land a blow.

No one, that is, except Melina. The only comfort she found was that Torrent had enjoyed their escapades immensely. For the steed, it was all just good fun.

“You’re one of the Tarnished, I see,” Kale began. “And I also se—”

The half-naked man interrupted him by casually sitting down at the campfire beside him. This was… unexpected. Just as surprising, the Tarnished looked at him in shock, as if Kale’s sudden silence was equally unanticipated.

“…” 

“…”

Silence fell.

From her immaterial vantage point, Melina closed her eyes, suppressing a sigh.

Kale was quick to recover—strange behavior was par for the course in the Lands Between. Oddities were no red flag. The man wasn’t hostile, after all. The Tree Sentinels were long-standing foes of the Tarnished, so his actions were understandable.

“You’re not here to kill me,” Kale ventured cautiously. It was more a statement than a question. He knew when he was being hunted, and this didn’t feel like that. Kale smiled faintly. “Why not browse my wares? I’m Kale, purveyor of fine goods. I’ve got a sturdy chainmail set, for instance.”

Kale’s sharp eyes caught the man’s scant attire—surely, traveling half-naked couldn’t be comfortable.

The Tarnished, whose name Kale would later learn was Konstantin, flinched slightly, glancing at the merchant.

“Any Soulslike player knows agility is everything,” the man said, shaking his head. “Parrying is not my style. Chainmail would slow my rolls. I’ll stick to lighter rags for now. Maybe when I’ve got more runes, I’ll buy it for the collection. Right now, I need paper, ink, and throwing knives.”

Kale raised a curious eyebrow at the Tarnished, who seemed lost in his own musings.

To Kale’s relief, the trade went off without a hitch. Konstantin immediately began sketching something from memory—a rough map of the Lands Between. Melina, watching unseen, was astounded by how well he seemed to know the land.

He added notes to the map that even she couldn’t decipher. When he finished, he stashed his new possessions… somewhere. Kale tried not to stare at how the items vanished into thin air.

“Convenient,” Kale thought, amused.

“Will you be moving on soon, Tarnished?” Kale asked.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll stay here tonight,” Konstantin replied. “One of the best waifus should spawn nearby soon.”

Konstantin paused, scanning the area.

“Don’t worry, Meli-Meli, you’re among the best too. If she doesn’t spawn by morning, I’ll try another time.”

“…”

Melina’s hidden left eye almost shot open, while her right twitched involuntarily.

Kale coughed into his hand, entirely baffled by the Tarnished’s words. Still, he welcomed the company. At least it wouldn’t be dull.

Someone else, however, understood him perfectly. Watching unseen, concealed in both the immaterial world and among its shadows, a figure dressed in blue—wearing a wide-brimmed hat and boasting four doll-like arms—grinned.

Ranni found Melina’s reaction amusing, as she did Konstantin’s behavior. Though he might seem like just another crazed warrior, something about him intrigued her. She decided to observe him further.

“Interesting…”

Her ghostly form vanished in a burst of starry light. She would wait and watch a little longer.

Konstantin, after sitting silently by the fire for some time, finally turned to Kale.

“Would you like to take a nap?”(1) he asked thoughtfully.

“…You’re not a bandit, are you?” Kale tensed immediately, second-guessing his earlier conclusions.

“What?” Konstantin’s confusion was genuine.

“What?” Kale echoed, equally confused.

Melina, still watching, quietly prayed to the Greater Will. Just in case.

__________________________________________

By the time morning broke, Konstantin had resigned himself to waiting in vain. A night spent with Kale gave him time to adjust to the fact that the NPCs—no, the people around him—were truly alive.

That only bolstered his determination as he gazed toward the Weeping Peninsula.

“Farewell,” Kale said, smiling faintly at the strangely resolute Tarnished. “It’s been a pleasure doing business.”

Though his sanity seemed precarious, the man appeared to be a good person.

“Likewise,” Konstantin replied curtly. “Hope you don’t go crazy like in that cut questline and die.(2) See you.”

Kale froze, utterly baffled, as Konstantin mounted his spectral steed and rode off in the direction opposite Stormveil Castle.

Melina grew increasingly uneasy. She couldn’t understand what her chosen Tarnished was thinking—or what his goals were. But at least he seemed to be adapting to their world.

“Melina, I need your help,” Konstantin said suddenly. “I know it won’t be hard for you. Could you head toward the Bridge of Sacrifice and Castle Morne? I need to know if the rebellion there has started. Let’s use some real-world mechanics!”

Melina blinked in astonishment. Again.

A Tarnished using their maiden as an informant? She had never heard of such a thing. Nor could she fathom how he even knew of any rebellion. But fortunately, she knew the location he spoke of. Castle Morne was infamous, ruled by Edgar, a warden appointed by Godrick the Grafted, the monstrous demigod and hunter of the Tarnished.

Curiosity piqued, Melina wondered what Konstantin planned—and if Godrick would eventually find out. She hoped he would.

Slipping through the immaterial veil, she quickly reached the Bridge of Sacrifice and then Castle Morne. To her surprise, all seemed quiet.

“Was the Tarnished mistaken?”

As she pondered this, she returned to find Konstantin fleeing from a fire-breathing dragon on Torrent.

“…”

What unsettled Melina more than the dragon was Konstantin’s calm demeanor. He acted as though this were routine, as if, at any moment, he could turn, slay the beast, and move on.

But he didn’t.

For Konstantin, the dragon was nothing more than an annoying fly.

Her chosen Tarnished dealt with people far less boldly than he ignored dragons. How did he even manage to encounter one like that in the first place?

Melina only dared to materialize after they’d shaken off their pursuer and made a brief camp. To her surprise, the daring Tarnished barely flinched when she suddenly emerged from her ethereal state.

Barely.

“The castle is safe, Tarnished soul.”

“Konstantin,” he corrected, his gaze locked on the Site of Grace. “Or just Kosta. So, I’m on time.”

He ran a hand through the Grace's glowing trail as if trying to grasp its flow, but nothing came of it. Melina had observed him doing this at every Site of Grace they had encountered over the past several days—there had been many. She chose not to comment.

“Can I assist you further, Tarnished soul?”

Of course, she didn’t expect him to say yes. But to her surprise...

“Yes, could you check a few more places for me, Meli-Meli?” he said with a smile. “Though, that can wait until we finish this quest and you see that I’m not just talking nonsense. The waifu won’t wait forever, and I need to calculate everything properly.”

Melina sighed.

“Very well. But I ask you, Tarnished soul, please don’t call me that.”

“Konstantin. Or just Kosta.”

The look on Melina’s face was indescribable, prompting Konstantin to laugh. She refrained from replying and faded back into immateriality.

She couldn’t decide whether she liked how quickly this strange Tarnished was adapting or not. Somehow, his eccentricity only grew alongside his newfound social skills. Unfortunately, the choice had already been made, and there was no turning back. At least Torrent seemed more than pleased with their mad rider.

But what troubled Melina most over the past few days...

Who in the name of Queen Marika Eternal were these “waifu” he kept mentioning—and why was she apparently one of them?

_______________________________________________

Irina had always had poor vision. The older she grew, the worse it became. Throughout her life, servants had followed her every step, ensuring her safety. She had learned to navigate the world by sound, but that did little to alleviate the vulnerability and helplessness she felt. She never could have prepared for the rebellion of Castle Morne’s Misbegotten slaves, nor for the slaughter they brought upon its people.

Oh, how Irina had wished her father would simply flee with her. But unlike his daughter, Edgar could not abandon his duty as the castle’s warden. Even if Castle Morne fell, he had vowed to ensure its ancestral blade would not fall into enemy hands. Despite his love for Irina, duty took precedence, and he sent his blind daughter into the unknown.

Perhaps he believed the rebels wouldn’t pursue them. Perhaps he trusted the servants to escort Irina safely away. He was wrong. Their carriage was ambushed, and the servants gave their lives to protect her.

Alone, blind, she sat on a solitary rock. Her fate lay in the hands of the first stranger who happened upon her, and this filled her with bitterness. Bitterness toward her father’s choice. If she’d had a say, she would have stayed in the castle to die alongside him rather than wait for a miracle—miracles that the Lands Between rarely delivered. What hope could exist in a world where death was but the beginning of suffering?

Irina’s sharp hearing picked up the sound of an approaching figure. She knew someone was drawing near long before they arrived. Oddly, she felt a strange sense of calm. If this was her executioner, so be it. She had already accepted her fate.

“Hello? Is somebody there? Might I bend your ear for a moment, please,” she called out. “My name is Irina. I've escaped from Castle Morne, to the south.”

The clip-clop of hooves stopped abruptly, followed by the sound of footsteps. The disappearance of the spectral steed unnerved her—something about it felt... wrong. Little did she know, the true oddities were yet to come.

“A blind waifu,” came a man’s voice, quivering as though on the verge of tears. “Your quest is one of the saddest I’ve ever played. (3)”

Irina tensed as the stranger knelt before her. Now she was truly afraid. Humans naturally fear the unknown, and this man was beyond her comprehension. She was not ready for this madman.

Melina, standing off to the side, observed the unfolding scene with a blank expression before tilting her head skyward in silent resignation.

“The servants of the castle...” Irina’s voice wavered as she pressed on, determined to finish. “The servants rebelled. I-I can't be sure what it is; my eyesight's been weak since birth you see...”

She said this with a faint bitterness.

“But I swear I heard frightful howling from all over. My good father secreted me out the castle, but decided himself to stay. He says it's his duty, as commander. I... I fear for father's life.
The servants are full wroth. Filled with hatred for every one of us. They've since come for every one of the companions I escaped with. They haven't spared a soul. I fear it's no different at Castle Morne...”

“Your father will regret leaving you behind like that,” the man said grimly. “I spent the entire playthrough after your quest thinking about that.”

Irina nearly choked on her breath. That’s not what she meant! No, no! Goddess, this madman misunderstood her entirely!

She fumbled to find the letter her father had entrusted to her and nervously held it out to the man.

“Please, I implore you. Would you mind taking a letter to my father, at the castle? My sole wish is that he escape, even if his honour should be the price. Please... I just want him to be safe...”

“Don’t worry, he’ll survive.”

Irina felt the man smile. A smile so unsettling it made her instantly regret her request. She was about to withdraw the letter when suddenly—

She shrieked as the man swept her into his arms. Horror gripped her as she realized he was naked! Goddess above, why was he naked?!

Her body, fully clothed, was now pressed against his bare chest. She heard a whistle, felt herself hoisted onto the protesting steed’s back.

Where had this horse even come from? It hadn’t been there a moment ago! Who was this lunatic?!

Moments later, the madman climbed onto the horse behind her.

“You’ll deliver the letter in person,” he promised darkly. “But only after I return that cursed blade and show him how disappointed I was with how your quest ended. It’d be perfect if you just died somewhere in the swamps. (4!) Damn it, that’d tie the questline together so well! Hold on tight.”

“What?”

Irina and Melina shared the same thought. Neither understood a single word of what he’d said. Irina wanted to speak up, but instead, she clung desperately to the madman’s bare chest as the spectral steed surged forward at breakneck speed, her screams piercing the air.

Melina remained where she stood, her empty gaze following the half-naked warrior and his so-called waifu. Strangely, she was beginning to grow accustomed to this.

He was right about one thing—the castle was under attack, and woe betide anyone caught in the path of his rolls.

Melina could only await the day her Tarnished would reach Stormveil Castle. Until then, she watched and helped where she could.

______________________________________

(1) In the game during Renni’s visit the trader is asleep

(2) Originally trader Kale had a questline which ends with him going mad from the influence of The Flame of Frenzy and dying. By the time the game was released the questline was cut.

(3) Irina’s quest ends with her dying. If you return to her after giving her father the letter you will only find her corpse.

(4) Fuck swamps! (Also I put “!” because I couldn’t understand the meaning of the original text. It was slightly contradictory. So for now I’ll translate it as is. I already sent the message to the author asking for clarification so for now I just gotta wait)

__________________________________

Chapter 4

The spectral steed galloped with incredible speed, perhaps the fastest in the Lands Between. They were moving so quickly that Irena was acutely aware—if she loosened her vice-like grip, it would likely be her first and last flight.

What would she become after death, she wondered?

The girl’s sharp hearing caught arrows whizzing past and the distant sounds of screams and shouting. Soon, those noises grew closer, surrounding them. It was clear now—they were near the castle. That thought sent a fresh wave of terror through her. She knew all too well what guarded it.

A giant, wielding an equally colossal bow, with arrows larger than most men. Though not particularly nimble, the mere presence of such a protector kept most creatures of the Lands Between at bay.

But the giant had a crucial flaw—aside from its lack of agility: while it could fend off external threats, it couldn’t deal with internal ones. A limitation that had doomed the castle.

“B-be careful...”

Irena began to warn her deranged companion, but it was too late. A deafening howl tore through the air—a low, menacing bellow that seemed to reverberate in her very bones. She knew the sound well.

An arrow whizzed past, the sound so sharp and loud it nearly deafened her. When it struck, the impact caused an explosion that left a smoking crater in its wake.

“This realism is insane!” the half-naked man on the spectral steed exclaimed with unbridled enthusiasm. “Too bad I don’t have time to farm here...”

His voice betrayed not a hint of fear. Riding his spectral mount, he simply ignored the massive guardian as if it didn’t exist. The speed granted by the Flow made avoiding "optional encounters" almost effortless.

‘What?!’

Irena and Melina, in eerie synchronization, found themselves thinking the exact same thing.

It didn’t take long for the Tarnished to infiltrate the castle. The spectral steed leaped onto the walls, ignoring the ongoing skirmishes between soldiers and revolting slaves. It moved with purpose, heading to a destination known only to its rider.

Following him in her immaterial state, Melina observed with growing unease. This Tarnished knew the castle.

No, he knew much more. But how?

‘What kind of madman have the Flow and I chosen?’ she thought, biting her lip.

Meanwhile, the spectral steed seemed entirely unbothered.

Irena was certain they were heading to her father. She could already imagine the look of astonishment and fury on his face. After all, it had taken immense effort to smuggle her out of the castle. If he only knew how it had all turned out...

Lost in her thoughts, she missed the moment when the sounds of battle faded. The steed leaped down with a splash of water.

“The old cemetery?” she murmured in surprise.

The steed came to a sudden stop. The half-naked man dismounted and, without a word, scooped Irena into his arms. She had grown somewhat accustomed to his strange manner by now, so she remained calm as he carried her to one of the tombstones and gently set her down.

“Why have you brought me here?”

Irena wanted an answer, but the man remained silent. Instead, she heard the hiss of steel. He had drawn a sword from... somewhere. She was about to ask where he had gotten it, and more importantly, if this cemetery was to be her final resting place, when a terrifying sound reached her ears.

Heavy footsteps accompanied by a guttural, feral growl. It was a sound filled with hatred, rage, and madness.

Irena immediately recognized the source.

‘Leonine Misbegotten,’ she thought, recoiling in fear. ‘The one responsible for the rebellion and my father’s decision to stay behind. The cursed sword! This madman has brought me to my death. Forgive me, Father.’

Despite her terror, a wry smile crossed her lips. At least her life would end here at the castle, near her father, rather than on some desolate roadside. It was a small comfort to the blind warden’s daughter.

But Konstantin, the Tarnished, had entirely different plans.

He spun the sword in one hand and summoned a shield in the other, his movements almost casual.

“And here’s the boss spawn. Shame about the lack of golden mist. One second, I’ll make this quick.”

‘What?’

Irena had never heard such confidence in anyone’s voice before. And soon enough, she realized her fate was about to be rewritten.

A feral roar rang out as steel clashed with steel. The sounds of the battle began to grow distant. Irena could tell the madman was deliberately drawing the beast away from her.

From her vantage point, Melina watched the battle in silence, her ethereal form observing every move.

As soon as Konstantin took up arms, everything about him changed. His aura, his movements, the atmosphere itself—he became someone entirely different when he fought.

The Leonine Misbegotten was stronger, faster, and utterly relentless. It tore across the cemetery in blind fury, aiming to reach Irena. But the Tarnished intercepted it at every turn, deflecting each attack with calculated strikes and well-timed rolls.

And then there was his shield.

Melina had never seen anyone use a shield with such mastery. Each parry redirected the creature’s raw power with precision, wearing it down. What took the Leonine immense effort to maintain, Konstantin countered with near-effortless grace.

Finally, the beast made a critical mistake.

Overextended from a wild swing, the Leonine faltered, leaving itself open. Konstantin wasted no time. Driving his sword into the creature’s chest, he delivered a decisive blow. The beast gasped, its stolen sword slipping from its grasp as it collapsed.

Melina knew the fight was over. A single strike had ended the life of such a formidable foe. With every battle, the Tarnished reinforced her belief that she had made the right choice.

The oddities, though...

A faint smile touched her lips.

She could live with them.

...Or so she thought.

“Why isn’t it getting back up?” Konstantin muttered, poking the fallen beast with his sword. “I barely broke its poise. Oh, come on.”

As runes poured from the defeated enemy, the Tarnished froze, whispering to himself:

“GREAT ENEMY FELLED”… That’s it? P-raise the Sun, I guess...” (1)

Melina let out a long, exasperated sigh. Disappointment—that was what she heard in his voice. Disappointment!

Irena, meanwhile, was struggling to comprehend what had just happened. She knew the Leonine Misbegotten’s strength. A monster capable of decimating entire battalions. Yet this half-naked madman had defeated it.

Quickly. Effortlessly. Almost… naturally.

“That was so easy I feel like a caster. Or worse, a summoner,” (2) Konstantin grumbled, visibly distressed. “Alright, let’s finish the quest.”

He retrieved the fallen greatsword and stowed it in some unseen space before returning to Irena. Lifting her once more, he carried her with the same casual ease as before.

“Rest assured, Father will reward you—”

“Having a living waifu is reward enough,” Konstantin interrupted in a steely tone. “Now, let’s go have a word with him...”

“P-perhaps we don’t need to...”

“We do.”

It didn’t take long for them to find Edgar, who was locked in battle with the slaves. The warden’s surprise was evident when he saw his daughter and a ghostly rider galloping across the battlefield on a spectral steed, flinging throwing knives with precision at any creatures daring to attack them. The strange rider didn’t even seem to aim but hit his marks flawlessly, striking down every enemy pursuing them.

A faint stream of runes flowed into the Tarnished as though blessing him. Konstantin cut through the hordes of thralls, leaping off Torrent. Edgar raised his halberd.

“What is the meaning of this? Irina?!”

“Father, you should—”

Irina, still bitter toward her father, didn’t want the frighteningly strong warrior to hurt him. She tried to warn him, but it was too late. The blind girl heard the swoosh of a halberd — presumably her father’s — followed by a heavy thud.

Then another.

And another...

“...”

Melina watched as the Tarnished rolled toward his new adversary, dodging the halberd’s swing before landing a perfectly executed punch squarely in the warden’s face. Ignoring the ongoing chaos of soldiers and thralls fighting around them, the Tarnished methodically continued his assault...

Apparently trying to “break Edgar’s poise”?

“You sent your blind daughter unprotected into the goddamn Lands Between? Are you insane? There are dragons just casually flying around, entire biomes filled with rot nearby! In a world like this, where beauty is so rare, and you toss it away like that?! All for some pointless reference to a Martin novel!” (3)

Punch.

“This was one of my first quests!” cried the Tarnished, his voice filled with raw emotion as he glanced toward the sky. “I naively accepted the letter, rushed off happily to complete it, defeated the boss...”

Punch.

“Went back to deliver the message, only to find her already dead. And you can’t even replay it! Damn these quests!”

Disregarding the soldiers rushing toward him, the Tarnished hoisted Edgar onto Torrent, then climbed on himself. Torrent snorted in protest, clearly struggling with the weight of three bodies.

“Actually, I could level you up too,” the Tarnished muttered, patting Torrent’s mane. “But this is the last time, I promise.”

Torrent snorted one last time. As arrows flew their way, the spectral steed leapt off the wall with incredible speed. Irina, now more accustomed to the chaotic warrior, clung tightly to his chest.

Melina, once again watching the swiftly disappearing figures, turned her contemplative gaze toward the castle, where blood continued to spill between rebels and soldiers.

It seemed the rebellion didn’t interest him at all. Nor did the consequences. The Tarnished pursued his own goals, ones entirely detached from either side of the conflict.

He had his own side.

Melina couldn’t help but wonder what he would do next. She was certain now that Konstantin could see Grace and was capable of overcoming the harshest trials. By all rights, as a Finger Maiden, she should have already taken him to the Roundtable Hold. The place where all Tarnished gathered. Yet, for some reason, she delayed.

She wanted to observe him a little longer. To be sure. What would he do next? Would his madness lead him to the foot of the Erdtree, or would he continue chasing only his goals, endlessly promising her he would fulfill his end of their deal?

___________________________________-

Edgar, holding his bruised face, chuckled bitterly.

“I may have jumped to conclusions... We haven’t met. I am Edgar, the war—”

He stopped, laughing humorlessly. What kind of warden was he now? They had fled, hiding in a distant abandoned shack. Worse, they’d fled with the sword of Castle Morne.

“I’m Edgar, the former warden of the castle. As ordained by Lord Godrick himself.”

Konstantin hesitated for a moment at the incongruity of Edgar’s title but quickly shrugged it off. The merchant had helped him get better at rolling with inconsistencies.

“We’ll see about that.”

Konstantin’s offhand remark left Edgar momentarily stunned. Irina, overhearing their conversation, laughed unexpectedly, feeling a flicker of shame.

“You saved me and my father from certain death, and I haven’t even asked your name, mighty warrior.”

“Konstantin.”

Kosta didn’t let himself get flustered by the fact that the waifu herself had asked for his name. After all, he was a battle-hardened warrior, growing stronger by the day.

“Konstantin!” Irina exclaimed, folding her hands in a prayerful gesture. “Thank you! Thank you so much. Father, how can we repay our savior?”

Edgar, still squinting — perhaps from the swelling around his eye, perhaps in suspicion — hesitated.

“Besides my daughter, I have only my debt to her and my halberd. The treasure of Castle Morne is rightfully yours, noble Tarnished. You are Tarnished, aren’t you? Hah, that was easy to tell!”

Only a Tarnished could be so peculiar and yet so capable.

The Tarnished nodded.

“So, what’s your plan?”

“Probably settle nearby,” Edgar said with a shrug. “The Lands Between are dangerous, but rest assured, I won’t let my daughter face such danger again. I’ll devote my life to her safety.”

“That’s all I wanted to hear. That’s more than enough,” Konstantin smiled. “I think I can find you a place in Stormveil Castle, at least temporarily. I’ll be heading there soon. A blind waifu, taken care of by the servants, would find it hard to survive with only her father’s help.”

Konstantin pondered whether it might be possible to restore her sight someday. It wasn’t part of the original quest, but who said he couldn’t start a new one?

For now, though, there were other matters to attend to.

“Stormveil Castle?” Edgar frowned. “Ah, of course, you’re Tarnished. I understand. If you succeed in your mission, we’d gladly accept your invitation!”

“But how could we possibly ask for more?” Irina exclaimed. “Father, we already owe this noble Tarnished so much! Perhaps we can at least help him find proper armor...”

“Didn’t I already say it?!” Konstantin countered, throwing his hands in the air. “A living waifu is the best reward. A happy, living waifu is the ultimate reward!”

Irina, grasping the gist of his words, blushed and lowered her head.

No one had ever said anything like that to her before. In just one day, the man before her had done more for her than anyone ever had, and promised even more. All for no reason other than his peculiar whims.

The Tarnished folded his arms, glancing out the window at the setting sun.

“Alright, gotta go.”

“A shame our meeting ends this way, Konstantin,” Edgar said, extending his hand. “No matter what you say, I remain in your debt. If you ever need my halberd, you know where to find me.”

Konstantin shook the offered hand but refrained from explaining that he wasn’t into multiplayer summons and wouldn’t be calling on him for help with bosses. Exiting the shack, he whistled for Torrent, who appeared instantly. Mounting the steed, he gave Edgar and Irina one last look before riding off.

There was no time to waste.

With Melina’s ethereal and mobile presence, he was confident he could keep track of Irina and ensure no further harm befell her.

For now, though, he had to focus. The best waifu hadn’t spawned in yet, and he was determined to trigger her questline.

For that, he first needed to assist one of her subordinates.

As for proper clothing? He’d deal with that later — maybe trade this oversized, useless toothpick for something more practical.

_______________________________

(1) Great Enemy Felled - dopamine inducing pop up that appears after killing a boss

(2) Every “self respecting” souls-liker would rather not wash for weeks and sustain themselves on pizza pops than play summoner or mage.

(3) Grafted Blade Greatsword - a drop from the boss (Leonine) in the Castle Morne. Looks like a sword made of rusted swords just like the Iron Throne